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Guatemala Travel Guide powered by advice from Real Travelers

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Guatemala Winter Trip

In and around Guatemala

Daph & I in Tikal
Daph & I in Tikal
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The criteria for our winter trip.  It had to be warmer than San Francisco.  There shouldn't be any rain.  It had to be interesting.  It had to be fun. It had to be reasonably safe.   And finally, it had to be affordable.

After researching several locations we decided that Guatemala fit the bill perfectly.  It is home to two World Hertigage sites (Antigua and Tikal) and is considered one of the most affordable destinations in Central America.

Why Guatemala?

Although we were going in high season during Christmas and New Years it still was a very affordable destination.

This is the journal of our time in Guatemala. 

Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Ken

  1. 1

    Beautiful Historical City

    Antigua, Guatemala | Dec 24 '05 | Reviews: 3

    Well trying to keep this journal using a treo and wireless keyboard.  Will be interesting to see how it works.  

    Took the red eye from... Continue reading »

     see 30 photos »    see 3 places visited »  
  2. 2

    Our base in Atitlan

    Panajachel, Guatemala | Dec 26 '05 | Reviews: 2

    The next morning we got up and got on the small bus that we had booked for $20 each to take us to Atitlan.  We were originally planning on flying... Continue reading »

     see 4 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  3. 3

    Let's climb a Volcano

    San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala | Dec 27 '05 | Reviews: 0
    What a great idea. Climb a Volcano.  How hard could it be??  Nice gentle path that takes a couple of hours of leisurely walking with great... Continue reading »
     see 10 photos »  
  4. 4

    The Market

    Chichicastenango, Guatemala | Dec 28 '05 | Reviews: 1

    Chichicastenango is the largest indigenous market in the country.  The market is only held on Thursdays and Sundays so you need to make sure you... Continue reading »

     see 19 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  5. 5

    Can someone tell me where Tikal Jets is??

    Guatamala City, Guatemala | Dec 29 '05 | Reviews: 1

    From Panajachel we took a bus back to Guatemala City so that we could take Tikal Jets to Tikal.  We had originally planned on staying in Zone 1 o... Continue reading »

     see 1 photo »    see 1 place visited »  
  6. 6

    Island town close to pyramids

    Flores, Guatemala | Dec 30 '05 | Reviews: 1

    When you land at the Flores airport (the closest airport to Tikal) you can take a 20 minute bus ride one direction to Flores or go about an hour... Continue reading »

     see 5 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  7. 7

    Amazing Pyramids

    Tikal, Guatemala | Dec 31 '05 | Reviews: 1
    Tikal is amazing!!   It is a combination of a jungle nature tour as well as a history tour.  In total we spent three days in Tikal in total. 
    ... Continue reading »
     see 19 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  8. 8

    Becoming TV stars

    Guatamala City, Guatemala | Jan 01 '06 | Reviews: 1
    We had enjoyed the Westin so we headed back there when we arrived in Guatemala City.  We had one final afternoon there before our plane flew out the... Continue reading »
     see 1 photo »    see 1 place visited »  
Rav avatar Rav on Dec. 8, 2005 @ 12:10PM said
I noticed your profile and was very interested in it. My wife and I are traveling to Guatemala this Dec. I was hoping you could help with some of the bottlenecks we are facing. We haven't found a single site that will help us make hotel bookings that are mid-range. I am reading through the Let's Go and Lonely Planet guides and it seems that if I need to book a bus ticket or a hotel room I can do it only by calling them. I wanted to know if you could advice some other options, before I start making those international calls. Your response is much appreciated.
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Rav avatar Rav on Dec. 8, 2005 @ 12:10PM said
BTW, I also noticed Daphne's Blog here. I have sent an email to Fransisco too. I'm guessing you guys are together, unless its a different Daphne. Thanks, Rav
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Ken avatar Ken on Dec. 8, 2005 @ 12:10PM said
Hi Rav We looked around for a site to book as well but ultimately ended up emailing the first hotel we stayed at in Antigua and reserving a room in advance. Worked out well. After the first hotel we called a day in advance as we traveled. GSM phone with a locally purchased SIM card is cheap and works really well there. Hope this helps and hope you have a great time -- great country. Cheers - Ken
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